“Pony express!” he yelled. “Buck Wallace in his famous picture ‘The Bad man of the Bad Lands!’ You! Yip-yip-e-e-e-e!”
Leaning over, he swept the hat from the ground as he dashed by. Then he wheeled, and, with a bow, presented it to Teddy.
“Just found it,” he said, with a grin. “Yours, maybe? Allow me! Rather warm isn’t it? But it’ll be cooler this winter, I expect.”
“My nice new Stetson,” Teddy remarked ruefully as he dusted it off. “Suppose Star had stepped on it? Fine pony express you are!”
“He didn’t,” Roy said, with a laugh. “Now what was that about Curly, Teddy?”
“Well, who do you think Reltsur is?”
Roy let out a roar of laughter. Then for some minutes Teddy was content to discuss their visitor of the night, but neither of the boys reached any conclusion, and at last they dismissed the subject.
Both were eager to hear what their father had to report when he returned from Hawley. The trail they were on led to the town where the rustlers were jailed, and the boys had hopes of meeting Mr. Manley on his way home. Yet the 8 X 8 Ranch was not out of their way, and if they missed their father, Teddy and Roy would not be at all averse to stopping off for a short visit.
The 8 X 8 was owned by Peter Ball, a neighbor and friend of Bardwell Manley. His two nieces from New York were paying their first visit to the West, and, as Teddy had said, they were planning to stay all winter at the Ball ranch. Since the girls were young and comely, it is not to be wondered at that Teddy and Roy took advantage of every opportunity to see them. Ethel Carew, or “Curly,” as the boys called her, seemed to hold special attraction for Teddy, while Nell Willis and Roy found each other’s company mutually agreeable.
Thus, while both boys declared their purpose in riding out was to meet Mr. Manley, they would not bother to avoid the 8 X 8 by circuitous riding.